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Saavedro of Stratholme
Saavedro of Stratholme, Knight of the Silver Hand, also known as Sir Saavedro Dragonbane or Saavedro the Hammer (born in the year 572 in Corin's Crossing, Lordaeron), is the primary World of Warcraft character played by Joshua Underwood. Currently, Saavedro is on the Khadgar (US) player-versus-environment, or PvE ("normal") server; he was created on the Medivh (US) PvE server in September 2005, but transferred in August 2006 to join his stepfather's guild, Bones Crew. On January 19, 2007, he will transfer again to the Gnomeregan PvE server. Saavedro is named after the antagonist of Myst III: Exile, portrayed by Brad Dourif (ironically, Dourif also portrays Underwood's primary Star Trek character, Kiran Joshmaul). Origins Born in the town of Corin's Crossing, southeast of Stratholme, Saavedro was the only child of the town magistrate and his wife. Living with his parents for much of his childhood, Saavedro - or Saav to his friends - grew tired of living within the magistrate's estate; for all of his good intentions, his father was the typical ineffectual politician. When he reached his Age of Ascension in 585, at age 13, Saavedro encountered a messenger from the King of Lordaeron, headed for Stratholme, and accompanied the messenger to the High Priest Sekhesmet of Stratholme. The young man took his oath as a priest in the service of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, and trained for much of his life under the venerable High Priest. In 594, word reached Stratholme of the fall of Lordaeron's sister kingdom of Azeroth, at the hands of the orcish Horde. Not long after that news reached Lordaeron, the refugees from Stormwind - led by Sir Anduin Lothar of the Brotherhood of the Horse and Archbishop Alonsus Faol, Abbot of the destroyed Abbey of Northshire - arrived in the court of King Terenas II of the House of Menethil, the reigning monarch of Lordaeron. Saavedro, as an emissary of the Conclave of the Priesthood in Stratholme, was present as Lothar informed the King of the opening of the Dark Portal, the atrocities committed by the orcs and their allies, the sorcerer Medivh's involvement in bringing the greenskinned invaders into the world of Azeroth, and the assassination of King Llane. Saavedro was particularly disturbed by the word of the destruction of the holy order of the Clerics of Northshire, but aided the aged Archbishop and his apprentice, Uther the Lightbringer, in the creation of the Order of the Silver Hand - the paladins. The Fall of Stratholme After the Alliance expedition into Draenor sealed the Dark Portal, Saavedro's mentor, High Priest Sekhesmet, was sent to the capital as a member of the high council of Lordaeron's priesthood. Now in his early thirties and a full-fledged priest of Lordaeron, Saavedro focused on his duties as a priest to the city of Stratholme. Then, in 604, he received orders from the high council informing him that he was being sent to the court of King Varian Wrynn, the new King of Stormwind. He lived in a small house in the Canal District, not far from the Cathedral of Light. He lived in Stormwind for ten years, until he received dire news from an Alliance courier from Grand Marshal Garithos, the leader of the Alliance remnant in Lordaeron, that had managed to reach the dwarven capital of Ironforge. Less than a year earlier, the human Kingdom of Lordaeron and the elven Kingdom of Quel'Thalas had been destroyed by a plague of undeath created by the Burning Legion and spread by an undead juggernaught known as the Scourge. The noble King Terenas and the leader of the Silver Hand, Lord Uther, had been brutally murdered by Prince Arthas, now a death knight in the Scourge's service. Lordaeron had crumbled into ruin, and Stratholme was left to burn - a fire that has lasted for many years after the end of the "Third War", as the battle with the Scourge and the Burning Legion was called. From his home in Goldshire, Saavedro refused to believe what he was hearing, but it soon became inevitable to him - his homeland had fallen into ruin, the ghosts of hundreds of thousands roaming the blighted landscape. The last piece of news he had heard chilled his soul - his mentor, Sekhesmet, had succumbed to the plague - for all of his strength in the Light, the darkness had claimed him regardless. At first, Saavedro refused to believe that the kingdom, Stratholme particularly, had fallen to something as simple as a disease. But the leader of the Church of Light, Archbishop Benedictus, warned him not to underestimate the powers of the Burning Legion. Realizing that he had a greater part to play, Saavedro waited until four years after the war before he removed the robes of the priesthood and took up sword and shield as a paladin. Swearing to defend the helpless and fight both the Scourge and the Horde, Saavedro was inducted into the Order of the Silver Hand at Northshire Abbey, in 618. He was forty-six years old. Paladin of the Silver Hand Note: This is from the perspective of Underwood playing Saavedro in World of Warcraft. The situations described herein are not unique to this character. In his beginnings as a paladin, Saavedro - like many other paladins, priests, warriors and other adventurers - fought against the secretive Defias Brotherhood, which was beginning to gain a foothold within the Kingdom of Stormwind. Starting first in Elwynn Forest, Saavedro began to augment his formidable powers of the Light with his skill in combat. At the time he became a paladin, many guilds had risen, organizations devoted to the Alliance and to the Horde. Early in his career as a paladin, Saavedro was inducted into the Order of the Midnight Runners as a common soldier, led at the time by the dwarf hunter Talluwin. Not long afterwards he travelled to Sentinel Hill in Westfall, to help continue the war against the Defias. It was in Sentinel Hill that he met the night elf rogue Ripclaw, to whom Saavedro would become a chief lieutenant in later years. With Ripclaw's aid, he put an end to the Defias Brotherhood's campaign in Westfall by killing its leader, Edwin VanCleef. It was while he was in the Midnight Runners that he met a renegade Defias rogue named Nyssha Swiftblade, and took her under his wing. He realized that her skills as an assassin and spy, while repulsive to him, would be useful to his cause, and he could use what influence he had to prevent her from being executed as a traitor. After killing VanCleef, Saavedro and Nyssha travelled to the Stockades in Stormwind, investigating rumors that the nobility had delayed the executions of Defias members being held there - and now they had overrun the Stockades. After putting down the insurrection, Saavedro left Nyssha in Stormwind and travelled, via the newly completed Deeprun Tram, to Ironforge. Travelling Overseas Saavedro arrived in Ironforge shortly after clearing out the Stockades, and immediately travelled to the swampy Wetlands that separated the dwarven empire of Khaz Modan from what remained of the Kingdom of Lordaeron. Arriving in Menethil Harbor, the major port of call that connected the ports of Theramore and Auberdine, Saavedro took the boat that would take him to Auberdine, in the Darkshore region of northern Kalimdor. Ripclaw met him there, and together they travelled to Blackfathom Deeps, in the northern part of Ashenvale Forest. Upon returning to the Eastern Kingdoms, far stronger than he had been before, Saavedro, Ripclaw and several other Runners ventured into the irradiated gnomish capital of Gnomeregan at the behest of the exiled High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque, who held court in Ironforge near the Deeprun Tram. Mekkatorque had implored Saavedro and his allies to avenge the fall of Gnomeregan by killing the one responsible for it - his former chief advisor, Mekgineer Sicco Thermaplugg. The fighting was long and arduous, but finally Saavedro, Ripclaw and their allies reached the Tinker's Court, where he aided the warrior who had accompanied them in striking down the treacherous Thermaplugg. After returning from Gnomeregan, the paladin joined in a continuing war he fights today - the war against the zealots of the Scarlet Crusade, and the undead monsters of the Scourge. Fighting Battles Against Evil With Ripclaw now leader of the Midnight Runners, Saavedro and Nyssha had been promoted to the rank of warlord in the Order, now among the new leader's chief lieutenants. But their battles had just begun. Saavedro and Ripclaw, accompanied by a gnome warlock who called himself Satanic, headed north from Hillsbrad into the plagued landscape now occupied by the undead Forsaken. For the first time in nearly twenty years, Saavedro entered the forests of Tirisfal Glades...and he did not like what he saw. The land was barely livable to humans, and the skies turned a sickly green. Distressed by the physical changes to Tirisfal, Saavedro nonetheless remained devoted to his mission - to enter the Scarlet Monastery. Formerly a cathedral to the Light maintained by the high council of the Lordaeron priesthood, in the nearby capital city - now the undead Undercity - the Monastery had become a place of evil, supposedly justified by their devotion to the Light. With Ripclaw and Satanic, along with a priest and a warrior, Saavedro entered the Scarlet Monastery and met the leaders of the Scarlet Crusade's war in Tirisfal in combat. Standing at the side of the warrior, Saavedro foguht through hordes of crazed zealots in the Monastery's library and defeated Houndmaster Loksey and Arcanist Doan, then cleared out the armory and taking the mail-armor shoulder of the Scarlet Champion, Herod, and finally entered the center of the Monastery's leadership, the Cathedral itself. Saavedro was repulsed by the crazed zealotry of the Scarlet Crusaders, his anger rising until it reached the boiling point in the Crusaders' Chapel itself. Fueled by rage, Saavedro and his compatriots cleared the Monastery of all who lived - and even one who wasn't alive to begin with, the former High Inquisitor Fairbanks - before confronting the son of the Ashbringer, Scarlet Commander Mograine, and his deluded mistress, High Inquisitor Whitemane. The battle was feverish, but in the end, the Midnight Runners proved victorious, and Saavedro left the depths of the Monastery with Mograine's shield strapped to his arm. After leaving Tirisfal, Saavedro travelled to Stranglethorn Vale and began questing there. It was shortly after his triumph in the Monastery, having trained for months, that he reached the level to begin wearing heavier plate armor and wielding far greater weapons. After speaking to his paladin mentor, Duthorian Rall, in Stormwind's Cathedral, Saavedro gained the paladin's warhorse, which he named Sekhesmet after his fallen mentor. His fight against the Scourge, and the Scarlet Crusade, was far from over. After fighting through the Scourge-infested Razorfen Downs in the Barrens, and the sunken Temple of Atal'Hakkar in the Swamp of Sorrows, Saavedro finally returned to his homeland - now transformed into the toxic Plaguelands. Reaching Stratholme Saavedro entered the Western Plaguelands from the mountains of Alterac, and was appalled at what he saw. The sky and the trees were even more sickly looking than in Tirisfal, and thousands of skeletons, ghouls and specters wandered the landscape - though having heard that this was where the plague began, Saavedro was surprised to see it was relatively intact, its appearance aside. It was here that Saavedro joined the Argent Dawn, an organization made up of all races and creeds dedicated to combatting the Scourge - and the Scarlet Crusade. Saavedro saw it as an opportunity to accelerate his battle against both evils. After fighting in the Western Plaguelands for months, Saavedro feared the worst as he prepared to brave the horrors of the Eastern Plaguelands. As he feared, it was far worse than Tirisfal or the Western Plaguelands. The town of Darrowshire was obliterated, his birthplace of Corin's Crossing infested by ghouls, specters and abominations, and the various other small towns left with nothing more than ghosts and memories. Steeling himself, Saavedro joined with a raiding party into the ruins of Stratholme - still left burning for four years, its districts split between the zealots of the Scarlet Crusade and the ravenous Scourge. The raiding party ventured into the Scourge-controlled sections of Stratholme, entering through the Eastwall Gate service entrance into the Elder's Square district. Battling their way to the slaughterhouse in the northern district known as Slaughter Square, the raiding party disabled the Ash'ari crystals that guarded the way, battled the abominations and their leader, Ramstein the Gorger, and waves of skeletons before finally entering the slaughterhouse. There, Saavedro battled an undead monster that would prove to be one of his more vexing foes - the death knight Baron Rivendare. The fighting was brutal, but in the end, the raiders proved victorious over the evil Baron. Saavedro delivered Rivendare's head to the Argent Dawn, and set out again for the ruined city. Saavedro entered the western districts of Stratholme, travelling from the front gate to Crusader's Square and into the Scarlet Bastion, the city's former cathedral, now controlled by the Scarlet Crusade. There, he encountered the beast behind the Scarlet Crusade - Grand Crusader Saiden Dathrohan, who was possessed by the Dreadlord Balnazzar. In a titanic battle, Saavedro and his comrades defeated Balnazzar, and Saavedro returned the Dreadlord's head to the Argent Dawn. Confronting an Emperor Though his success in Stratholme was a noteworthy achievement, Saavedro was haunted by the depths in which his beloved city had sunk. Finally deciding to find higher-stakes fighters, Saavedro left the Order of the Midnight Runners, leaving his Defias protégé, Nyssha, as his emissary. After months of fruitless searching, Saavedro joined a man called Eightbraeker, a paladin who had risen in the ranks of Stormwind's army, and his order of holy warriors known as Sanctus Preliator. Having fought alongside Eightbraeker - who would later become the Alliance's Grand Marshal for a period - many times in the battlefields of Alterac Valley, Saavedro grew to respect his new leader as much as he had respected Ripclaw. Unfortunately for him, that was about all he did respect about Sanctus Preliator. Early in his service to Eightbraeker, as he began to reach the height of his power as a paladin, Saavedro was called on by King Magni Bronzebeard of Ironforge to rescue his daughter Moira from the evil Emperor of Blackrock, Dagran Thaurissan - slave of Ragnaros the Firelord, an elemental banished into the Molten Core of Blackrock Mountain generations earlier. Accompanied by several Preliators, Saavedro ventured deep into the volcanic depths of Blackrock Mountain, and eventually arrived in the Emperor's throne room. Along the way, he encountered a Dark Iron dwarf named Korogh Madeyes, who proved to be less hostile than his fellow Dark Irons. Somehow managing to break free of Ragnaros' slavery, Korogh offered his services to Saavedro, and led the paladin and his party straight into the Emperor's throne room. With the fate of the Kingdom of Ironforge in the balance, the Preliators cleared out the throne room and battled the Emperor himself. Finally, the killing blow was struck, and the heiress to Ironforge safely returned to her father. The Scourge Invasion, and Moving Ahead After leaving Sanctus Preliator, Saavedro joined the Order of the Cutting Edge, led at the time by the human priest Mairek. Fighting many battles with them - most notably when, with both he and his enemy weakened and his party incapacitated, he slew the dragon General Drakkisath in single combat in the upper portions of Blackrock Spire - Saavedro gained strength, wisdom and honor, and was well respected by his peers. Along with his comrades, Saavedro battled the Horde champion Nathanos Blightcaller in Eastern Plaguelands, and the Forsaken Alexi Barov, trying to gain control of what remained of his family's holdings. Furthermore, he had become revered with the Stormpike Guard fighting in Alterac Valley, and with the Argent Dawn battling the Scourge. Aided by the paladin lord Kothgar, Saavedro gained the symbol of the highest-ranked paladin, the gold-armored charger, which he named Terenas after the murdered King of Lordaeron. Three months into his service with the Cutting Edge, a great war began. The lich Kel'Thuzad, overlord of the Scourge-controlled Plaguelands, had returned six years after Arthas had joined what remained of his soul with the ethereal Lich King that controlled the Scourge. From his black citadel of Naxxramas, floating in the skies above Stratholme, Kel'Thuzad directed an invasion of the world of Azeroth. Saavedro travelled the world along with thousands of others to combat the undead invasions. The battles lasted a mere two to three weeks, but by its end the Scourge forces were badly depleted. Saavedro left the battlefields of the Scourge invasion bearing the tabard of the Argent Dawn, an item he long coveted, and with plate-mail armor enchanted to battle undead. At the same time, Saavedro began fighting other deadly forces in addition to the Scourge. After leaving the Cutting Edge, Saavedro joined the Bones Crew - a group of people beginning their fight against the minions of Ragnaros and the Scourge - at the suggestion of a friend, the dwarf paladin Luna DeMoona. But the Bones Crew was too casual for Saavedro - or so he believed then - and decided to strike out on his own. While in Sanctus Preliator many months before, Saavedro had entered the ruined city of Zul'Gurub, the former capital of the Gurubashi Empire, and gained many powerful relics - including the gigantic hammer wielded by the bat-like High Priestess Jeklik. He also was present at the opening of the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj, in which Lord Kalahad, of the order known as Fury, rang the Scarab Gong that began a battle in the deserts of Silithus. Saavedro has also done combat with the insectoid Qiraji, but has not been able to defeat one of the major leaders, General Rajaxx. While in Blackrock Depths, Korogh Madeyes had informed him that Duke Hydraxis, a powerful water elemental on an island in the Bay of Storms in Azshara, was trying to find warriors to battle the minions of Ragnaros in the Molten Core. Saavedro took up the challenge and fought many times in Molten Core. It was only with the Order of Apatheia that Saavedro finally unlinked the inner mysteries of Molten Core, and came face to face with Ragnaros the Firelord himself. Accompanying a raiding party deep into the fiery depths of the Core, Saavedro stood back and gave his formidable healing powers to keep the raiding party alive long enough to defeat Ragnaros. As he screamed his disbelief into the echoing cavern, Ragnaros dissolved into nothingness, his hammer spinning in the air...and slamming down into the fiery ground. But once he returned to the Bones Crew, Saavedro learned that Ragnaros had returned. However, his experiences in the first fight against the Firelord had steeled the paladin for what was to come. Reaching the Top of the Mountain Saavedro had encountered a human named Lord Victor Nefarius, who was believed to be a dragon in disguise, in Upper Blackrock Spire, standing at the side of the Warchief of the Blackrock clan, Rend Blackhand. Having fought into the throne room of General Drakkisath and defeating him, Saavedro touched the gigantic orb known as Drakkisath's Brand, burning the Mark of Drakkisath deep into the palm of his hand. Once this was done, Saavedro exited the Spire and went down the hall to a small alcove, where a glowing green orb stood upon an altar with dragon wings spread out the sides. According to papers he had stolen from the orcish quartermaster nearby, this was the Orb of Command that marked the entrance to the Blackwing Lair. Joining with another party from Apatheia, Saavedro entered Blackwing Lair to find that they had already defeated many of the Dragons in the first chambers. He joined them in time to battle the final three before entering the inner chamber - Ebonroc, Flamemaw, and Chromaggus. The fight with the two-headed Chromaggus, particularly, was the most lengthy - Saavedro nearly drained himself of energy while keeping the draining brood energies from killing the party - but in the end, the two-headed beast was defeated. Saavedro, guided by an unknown power, entered Nefarius' throne room, where "Victor Nefarius" was revealed to be the black dragon lord Nefarian, son of Deathwing and brother of the dreaded Onyxia - who Saavedro had helped unmask some months earlier when he rescued Marshal Reginald Windsor from the Blackrock Depths. When the party attempted to battle Nefarian, with the rest of the party destroyed by Nefarian's legions, Saavedro was the only one who survived. Nefarian's human form disappeared, leaving a field of corpses in the evil dragon's throne room. Driven by some kind of evil - perhaps instigated by his constant quests of revenge and destruction of his foes - Saavedro seated himself upon the throne of Nefarian and declared himself Emperor of Blackrock in the place of the dead Dagran Thaurissan, and slowly began a downward spiral into madness - or so it would appear. His mind was eventually cured, but in the end, his experience within Blackwing Lair had changed him forever. Returning to the Bones Crew The Order of Apatheia, deciding that his services were not required and his personality was not what they were looking for, dismissed Saavedro from their ranks. In desperation, the paladin tried to locate other orders to join before, realizing he had no choice, he contacted his comrade Luna DeMoona in the Bones Crew and asked her to put in a word with her friend, the dwarf hunter Sioda. Immediately, Saavedro, Luna and Sioda were in council with the night elf rogue Creedence, the master of the Bones Crew. Though he had not left on good terms, Creedence decided to grant Saavedro a reprieve only because of his association with Luna. His first quest with them was an excursion to Dustwallow Marsh, to finally put an end to Saavedro's most daunting nemesis, the black dragon broodmother, Onyxia. The battle was quick but brutal, and in the end, the evil dragon finally fell. Saavedro was given the head of Onyxia to deliver to Highlord Bolvar Fordragon, the regent lord of Stormwind. Then the head was delivered to Major Mattingly in the Valley of Heroes, where it was placed in chains and hung from the arches. Saavedro received the Dragonslayer's Signet as a reward for his slaying of Onyxia, as well as the Crown of Judgement - the helm of a lost suit of paladin armor - and gold from the coffers of the King of Stormwind. This practically solidified his relationship with the Bones Crew, as a slayer of dragons. Massacre in Silithus Joining a warparty led by Sioda, Saavedro and Luna entered the deserts of Silithus and confronted a Horde raiding party led by the orc warrior Thragus of the BlackBlades. Joined by a handful of people from other orders, the Bones Crew raiding party destroyed the Horde party and ended their rampage. Saavedro and Luna were severely wounded in the attack, but managed to survive and defeat their opponents in honorable combat. The Horde called for reinforcements, but in the end the Alliance onslaught proved more than they could handle. Once the Horde withdrew, the Bones Crew turned on their next enemies - the Twilight's Hammer. Turning on the Twilight Avengers, Saavedro and his party destroyed the multi-race warriors without cause or warning, destroying them quickly. Though Saavedro - gravely injured and armor in shambles - took a portal to Ironforge to escape the dusty battlefields of Silithus, his comrades destroyed the menace quickly in his absence. Travelling to Uldaman Though he would have done so earlier, Saavedro's battles against the Scarlet Crusade kept him from reaching Uldaman - an ancient city long believed to have been lost - in the Badlands, south of Loch Modan. Asked by younger guildsmen to accompany them, Saavedro accepted. The younger ones - having travelled the empty halls before - were surprised to see it crawling with what appeared to be dwarves as well as troggs, unleashed by the excavation of Uldaman. These "dwarves", it was revealed later, were the Earthen - the ancestors of the present-day dwarves, created by the Titans of old, millennia before the present time. Venturing deep inside the ruined city, Saavedro entered the Hall of the Keepers and came face-to-face with the elemental giant Archaedas, the guardian of the platinum Discs of Norgannon, believed to be the records of the source of the Earthen's - and as a result, the dwarves' - ancestry as creations of the mythic Titans. While his companions dealt with the Earthen minions, Saavedro grappled with Archaedas himself, and defeated him in single combat - thus gaining access to the Discs of Norgannon. Departing the Bones Crew After three months of battles in Molten Core, and finally forcing Majordomo Executus to submit along with his comrades, Saavedro left the Bones Crew to join the order of holy warriors known as the Brethren. However, the Brethren gave him the same excuse that the Order of Apatheia had - that he was not what they were looking for. After wandering for a time, Saavedro became a pirate of the order known as YARR, earning far more prestige there than he had among the Crew. Then the pirates disbanded, leaving Saavedro on his own once more. After running independently for a while, Saavedro was contacted a friend he had met during his ambassadorship to Stormwind, a human mage named Lasáir. The mage belonged to the Order of Serenity, and pointed Saavedro to the leadership of the guild. Serenity had just began its battle against the minions of the resurrected Blood God Hakkar. After being interviewed briefly, Saavedro was accepted into their ranks. Early Expedition into Outland Upon word of Lord Kazzak crossing beyond the Dark Portal, Attunement Artifacts *Core Fragment: Saavedro recovered a core fragment from deep inside Blackrock Depths shortly before assassinating Emperor Dagran Thaurissan. Bringing this core fragment to the blood elf Lothos Riftwaker, Saavedro's soul became attuned to the fiery depths of the Core. *The Drakefire Amulet: After escorting Marshal Reginald Windsor into King Anduin's throne room and confronting Lady Katrana Prestor - the human form of Onyxia - Saavedro joined with Highlord Bolvar Fordragon to oppose the dragon's elite guards, which had masqueraded as members of the Stormwind Royal Guard. During the combat, the Highlord's amulet was shattered, filling him with immense power, and he destroyed the dragons instantly. Onyxia, however, escaped, and was lost until Saavedro huntered her down months later and slew her. In order to enter her lair, Saavedro encountered the dragon-mage Haleh, the Matron Protectorate of the blue dragon lair Mazthoril in Winterspring, and gave her the shattered amulet. Haleh instructed him to return to the Eastern Kingdoms, to Upper Blackrock Spire, and defeat General Drakkisath. His blood mixed with the powers of Bolvar's amulet would allow the paladin entry in Onyxia's lair in Dustwallow Marsh. *The Mark of Drakkisath: Many months after he defeated General Drakkisath, Saavedro re-entered Upper Blackrock Spire once more. Saavedro killed an orcish quartermaster and found a set of orders - written by Drakkisath himself before his demise - detailing the protection of Nefarian's inner sanctum, Blackwing Lair. With this information in his possession, Saavedro made his way through the dragon-infested halls into Drakkisath's empty throne room, where a gigantic dragon orb glowed brightly in the area behind where the dead dragon had once stood. Removing his gauntlet and touching his hand to the orb, Saavedro burned the Mark of Drakkisath deep into his palm. Other Artifacts in His Possession *Judgement Armor: The higher level of paladin armor, Judgement is predominantly found in Blackwing Lair. Saavedro gained the Judgement Crown, the hood-and-mask helm of the set, in the lair of Onyxia after slaying her. *Field Marshal's Aegis: Now that the ranks have been frozen, the armor and weapons of the Grand Marshals are available to all who gain enough honor and prestige in the battlefields of Azeroth. Saavedro replaced his Lawbringer spaulders with the eagle-head spaulders of the Field Marshal's Aegis. He intends to gain the remainder of the set - helm, breastplate, leggings, gauntlets and boots - as he is able. *Freethinker's Armor: Gifts from the Zandalar tribe of trolls for battling the minions of Hakkar, Saavedro has gained the breastplate, bracers and belt of the Freethinker, which (in addition to "heathen") is how the Zandalar refer to paladins. He still hunts for the pieces required to make a powerful trinket, known as Gri'lek's Charm of Valor. He also must reach exalted reputation with the Zandalar in order to turn his Heathen's Brand into the Hero's Brand, the highest honor accorded to paladins by the Zandalar. *Zulian Scepter of Rites: Taken from the body of High Priestess Jeklik in Zul'Gurub, it provides bonuses to healing and restores a small amount of mana. In addition, Saavedro had it enchanted with a fiery glow, adding extra damage in combat. *The Immovable Object: An epic-quality shield of some sort from the Stormpike Guard, it appears to be some kind of insectoid carapace; even Saavedro is not entirely certain what it is. All he does know is that it boosts his armor and stamina, and provides extra chances to block. *Royal Seal of Eldre'Thalas: Saavedro found a book entitled "The Light And How to Swing It", written by the late Uther the Lightbringer. The book bore the seal of the Athenaeum, the library of the elven city of Eldre'Thalas, now known as Dire Maul. Saavedro ventured alone into Dire Maul to return the book to its owners, and received this trinket in return. It provides him with a boost to armor and fire resistance. *Darkmoon Card: Twisting Nether: Given to Saavedro upon handing the Portals deck to Professor Thaddeus Paleo, an exotic goods vendor for the Darkmoon Faire. The deck was given to Saavedro by his friend, the mage Tarsuskai of the Order of the Cutting Edge, for 125 gold sovereigns (50 up front, 75 more when Saavedro was able). This card gives Saavedro a chance to resurrect upon death, though the paladin often jokes that it works when it doesn't need to - such as in battlegrounds - and it doesn't work when it does need to, like during raids in Molten Core. *Eternal Quintessence: A sacred water given by the Hydraxian Waterlords to douse runes of the Firelords. There are eight such runes in Molten Core; once all are doused, Majordomo Executus appears. Artifacts Being Searched For *Grand Marshal's Longsword: A powerful one-handed blade created by Alliance artificers and granted to warriors of the Alliance upon reaching the rank of Grand Marshal. However, the Alliance ranking system was frozen shortly after word reached Azeroth of an impending reopening of the Dark Portal, and the Grand Marshal's armory open to all who could wield the weapons and wear the armor. After looking through the armory, Saavedro decided that once he gained the honor necessary to gain this weapon, he would take it over the other available one-handers. *Grand Marshal's Aegis: The shield of the Grand Marshal. Saavedro will obtain this with the proper honor to go along with his Grand Marshal's Longsword. *Grand Marshal's Battle Hammer: Saavedro is a master of mace combat, and his two-handed weapon of choice has always been some kind of battle hammer. Upon the opening of the Grand Marshal's armory, Saavedro began seriously looking at the gold-plated battle hammer of the Grand Marshal, Librams *Libram of Divinity: Dropping from monsters deep inside the Scholomance, it provides Saavedro a boost in his Flash of Light spell. *Libram of Fervor: Another drop from Scholomance, it increases Saavedro's melee power while using the Seal of the Crusader, and allows more holy damage when Saavedro casts Judgement of the Crusader upon his foe. *Libram of Truth: Dropping from the gigantic golem Magmus, the guardian of the Emperor's throne room in Blackrock Depths, it boosts the armor increase of his Devotion Aura. Tabards One of Saavedro's odd hobbies is his collection of tabards. These are the tabards he has received, in this order: *Guild Tabard: This has changed many times, but Saavedro has always had at least one since the beginning. *Private's Tabard: Earned when Saavedro joined the Alliance army. *Stormpike Battle Tabard: Earned when Saavedro joined the Stormpike Guard, late in his service to the Alliance. *Tabard of the Argent Dawn: Earned during the Scourge Invasion, when Kel'Thuzad's legions poured from Naxxramas. *Tabard of the Scarlet Crusade: Taken from a trainee, one of the apprentices to the dead Scarlet Champion Herod, from the Scarlet Monastery. *Knight's Colors: Earned when Saavedro was knighted. *Tabard of the Protector: Granted by the Argent Dawn for heroism during the Battle for the Dark Portal, shortly after Lord Kazzak opened the long-dormant gateway. Currently Saavedro currently resides at Nethergarde Keep, waiting for orders to return to Outland. Mounts Saavedro has five mounts. They are tended to at the livery stable at Nethergarde Keep, the closest outpost to the Dark Portal. *Sekhesmet: His first paladin mount, a silver plate-armored warhorse, named for his mentor, Sekhesmet of Stratholme. He received this mount from Duthorian Rall in Stormwind upon gaining enough strength in his powers as a paladin. *Terenas: His gold plate-armored charger, named for King Terenas of Lordaeron. He received this mount after defeating the death knight Darkreaver in the bowels of the Scholomance, having undergone a long quest that took him to sites in both the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. *Luna: His Stormpike battle charger - a ram native to Alterac Valley made suitable for riding. Saavedro named it after Luna DeMoona, his protégé. Upon his promotion to commander in the Stormpike Guard, he received the charger from the supply officer at the Stormpike outpost in the Alterac Mountains. *Nightshade: His black war tiger - a stripeless species of nightsaber tiger normally awarded to Alliance officers at the rank of Commander. Though the ranking system is frozen (Saavedro holds the permanent rank of Knight), the tiger is still available to those who collect thirty marks of honor from the three battlefields in Azeroth. *Annachie: A Lordaeronian black stallion originally belonging to Sekhesmet of Stratholme, gifted by King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind. Annachie was tended to by the Alliance livery in Stormwind and given darkened steel armor plates for protection, and served as a war steed in Alterac Valley until he was purchased by Saavedro - for the same amount of honor marks as his black war tiger. Students Saavedro has personally trained two students in the ways of the paladin. *Luna DeMoona: The dwarf paladin he met in Ironforge became one of his greatest students, finally reaching Saavedro's rank in the paladin order. Despite the apparent emnity that the Bones Crew now holds for Saavedro, she is his most loyal supporter. She is presently working towards her paladin epic mount, which Saavedro has offered his services towards. *Velenkayn: A Draenei he met at the Exodar, their dimensional ship/capital city in northern Kalimdor. The Draenei have a natural affinity to Light magic, and Velenkayn - which means Fist of Velen in Draenei - was eager to learn. Saavedro took the lad under his wing and trained him in the ways of combat with maces, as well as rudimentary healing spells. Servitors Saavedro's power has also given him two servants that fulfill his wishes for the betterment of the Alliance and of the world as a whole. *Nyssha Swiftblade: A human rogue and Saavedro's personal assassin, Nyssha is a former Defias who became indentured to him after Saavedro saved her from execution in the Stockade in Stormwind. While most paladins would find his employment of an assassin distasteful, Nyssha remains committed to advancing the Alliance's cause. *Arrhae Leafrunner: A night elf druid Saavedro encountered in Darkshore, who pledged her service to the paladin after he saved her from a furbolg attack. Her duties these days entail keeping an eye on Nyssha - as rogues, even one as committed as Nyssha, are usually untrustworthy - and continuing to rise in the ranks of the Alliance. However, Arrhae's ultimate loyalty is to her Archdruid, Fandral Staghelm, and the Order of the Cenarion Circle. Enemies Even a man of Saavedro's purity has made a fair share of enemies. *Joshmaul the Warlock: An orc warlock Saavedro encountered in Stranglethorn Vale - and defeated soundly in single combat. The vile fiend intends to gain possession of Atiesh, the Greatstaff of the Guardian, and use it to undermine Saavedro in any way possible. Taking the weakened priest Sekhesmet and the vengeful paladin Ordevaas into his confidence, Joshmaul rallies the dark powers in an attempt to destroy the Alliance...then turn on Thrall and conquer the Horde once his dominion is complete. *Sekhesmet of Stratholme: A Forsaken priest, once Saavedro's beloved teacher, now turning into a deadly opponent. Sekhesmet appears to have forsaken (no pun intended) the school of Holy magic in favor of Shadow magic. With this arsenal of powerful dark spells and distaste of the living, Sekhesmet could easily be a dangerous enemy. *Ordevaas Portalseeker: A high elf priest who had studied under Sekhesmet of Stratholme during the Second War. Ordevaas was serving alongside Saavedro as an ambassador of sorts to Stormwind when word reached him that Quel'Thalas had fallen to Arthas and the Scourge - and that his racial connection to magic had been severed with the corruption of the Sunwell. Hiding out with other High Elves in the Quel'Danil Lodge in the Eastern Plaguelands, Ordevaas received word that the pass to Silvermoon had reopened and that Silvermoon itself was partially restored. Travelling to Sunstrider Isle, Ordevaas became one of the sin'dorei, or blood elves, and began the path of the Blood Knight - the paladins of Quel'Thalas. Now the blood elves serve the Horde, and thus Saavedro and Ordevaas find themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield... Category:Warcraft